When we arrived, we learned more about what we'd be up to for the next couple of days. Check it out below:

One of the things that surprised us most about the Perlan 2 was how HUGE the wings on the glider were- 85 feet! ​

Here's the cockpit of the Perlan 2 glider:

Interior of the cockpit:

We also got a chance to test out the flight simulator! In order to prepare for their world record breaking flight, Perlan pilots need to practice. We got an inside look at their practice space. Ms. Manfre climbed inside to give it a go!

We're spending this afternoon finalizing writing the procedures for the cubesat. Every cubesat needs to have a formal procedure, or set of directions, written for the "Runbook," which is a book that details the procedure for every cubesat. This helps the team know how to put the cubesats together, how to plug them in, and how to collect data for them so that every experiment works the way it is supposed to. We will also be taking inventory of all the cubesats that arrived from Argentina, and making sure that they are ready for flight. We are also fixing some of the broken cubesats, 3-D printing last minute items, and logging our activities for Teachers in Space.

How long did it take to make he cubesat also was it hard to make the cubesat?

Reply

Mrs.Craven

5/4/2017 06:25:19 am

Students have been working hard on the cubesat since October. We were really nervous when we first got started, because it seemed really difficult, and none of us had any experience in sending something into space! But the more we worked, the more we realized that the whole process just involved using our 21st century skills, like problem solving and perseverance. The cubesat students (and their teachers!) just took it one step at a time, critically thought through problems as they came up, and persevered through times where we got a little frustrated. Turns out, with the right mindset, anything is possible!

It seems like you guys are having fun. Mrs. Manfre looks like she is! Its really cool that it traveled so far from our little school.

Reply

Ms. Manfre

5/4/2017 06:31:45 am

It's OUT-OF-THIS WORLD fun!!

Reply

Mrs.Craven

5/4/2017 06:37:49 am

We also had a couple more awesome comments that I'm reposting here, just for safety :-)

Jack asked:
How long did it take for the cube to go from Ashford to Nevada? What are the cubes made of and how did you make it? Why did you use cubes? The flight simulator looks fun! I wish I was there!

Jack, Chris Murphy, who is another teacher that works with Teachers in Space, travelled to Nevada with the cubesat in his suitcase when he flew out to Nevada with us on Tuesday. Our flight was about 8 hours long. The cubes are 3-D printed out of a special type of filament- we even printed one on the Ashford 3-D printer! We use cubes because they can fit almost anywhere and are easy to stack in space (this is also why NASA uses them) The flight simulator was fun! We all liked climbing into the cockpit! And we wish you were here too! Great questions!

Emerson asked-
How long did it take you to make the cubesats? It looked like some of the materials you used were made from a 3d printer.
Did the cubesat make any stops before it reached New York or Nevada?

Emerson, cubesats were printed on the 3-d printer. I believe the cubesat flew directly to Nevada! Good question!

Reply

Drucilla

12/30/2017 12:14:42 pm

I totally just discovered this page! Thank you so much for taking care of my moss! That’s my cubesat you had to mist once a week. I currently have two of those samples still alive.

Reply

Mrs.Craven

12/30/2017 01:58:30 pm

Hi Drucilla- It's such a small world- thanks for leaving us a note! Your experiment was really cool!